Anyone got any ideas? Something that involves a night out but nothing too taxing / extreme although not too easy either?

Thank you.

In that corner of the Lakes I dont think you have too many options.

Either pootle on the back roads over to Windermere, ferry and then Bivi out in Claife Heights

or quiet roads up Long Sleddale, up and over to Kentmere, up and over Garburn pass (it'll be a push from that side. Good surface, but steep), Troutbeck, drop into Ambleside

Back lanes round the east and north sides of Kendal to get to Staveley then over via High Borrans and Dubs Tarn to Troutbeck then round by Jenkins Crag to Ambleside. Some up and down (this is the Lakes) but not hike a bike.

Someone suggested via Coniston - yes - no?

Bearbonesnorm wrote:Someone suggested via Coniston - yes - no?

It'd be quite a detour

Depends, sorry.

The direct route between Oxenholme and Coniston goes against the lie of the land - all the valleys run N-S and you'd be riding E-W plus you have to cross Windermere via the ferry which may or may not be a feature. Sounds like arriving by train so why not go to Grange over Sands and head north via the Cartmel valley and Rusland into Grizedale Forest. From there you can either take an easier route via Claife Heights or a bit more technical round by Little Langdale and Loughrigg Terrace.

Cheers fellas, that's given me something to work with.

Stu have a word with rich he lives n rides there all the time im sure he will steer u in the right direction.

Stu, Rather than Grange, go on a couple of stops to Cark-in-Cartmel. From there head north past Holker on the ridge just east of there - Mount Barnard, Speel Bank, Bigland http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=33 ... &ay=480704. Mostly BW and tracks until Bigland. Drop down to Haverthwaite, cross the A590 (careful!) and take lanes through Bouth and Oxen Park, track to Ickenthwaite then head into Grizedale Forest.

You can go several ways here depending on whether you want to head via Claife Heights or Coniston. If the latter then look on the map for Lawson Park, this is one descent, the next BW north is also good. From Coniston you can go either via High Tilberthwaite, Little Langdale and Elterwater to get to Loughrigg then Ambleside or go via Tarn Hows, Iron Keld and Skelwith Bridge. If you go via Claife Heights then you need to get to either Near or Far Sawrey, over past the tarns then the best descent is from Long Height to Colterhouse but there are lots of BWs up there. There's a newish bit of BW (permissive?) around Low Wray but the last bit will be on road.

Claife heights is lovely and well worth a wee trip over.

You could take the Windermere branch line to Staveley and then look at what the Lakeland 200 and JennRide routes have to offer.

Stu did you get sorted with this?

PostieRich or Kendal Paul are your men, but here's a couple of options-

Routes via Staveley
Train to Staveley, then LL200 route over to Ambleside.

Ride to Staveley via Burnside, then LL200 route.

Out of Oxenholme, head west over the A590 towards Sizergh, up through Holeslack Farm, past Helsington Church & then quiet lanes over to Staveley via Crook, LL200 to Ambleside.

Routes via Windermere Ferry
As above up to Crook, but then continue on quiet lanes over to Windermere Ferry, up onto Claife Heights (various options here), road to Ambleside via Clappersgate.

From Claife Heights head over to Grizedale & other options from there.

Routes via Grange/Cark area
Train to Cark, over to Cartmel (lovely little village but all the locals are now gastro-pubs so not cheap to eat), across the racecourse & good bridleways & lanes up to Newby Bridge. Options to head up either east or west of Windermere now. The last few months I've actually been planning a way up the west side of Windermere avoiding roads as part of a longer route. If heading up the east side i'd still recommend riding via Troutbeck & Jenkin Crag to Ambleside. Going west you'll head up through Grizedale then could either continue via Claife Heights, or have options of a longer route via either Coniston, Hawkshead, or anywhere else in the area that appeals..

There really is so many good options in this area it's impossible to put them all down here.

Roughly when are you thinking of going?

Just let me know if you need anymore info for any of the above, or anything else you might be looking at where i might be able to help..

Cheers Jase. The route is actually required for the Adventure Cycling Festival in June. The idea is to encourage people to arrive on a bike, so it was thought a semi-guided ride from a train station that incorporates a night out on the Fri, might be nice.

I've pushed Chew forward as guide ('cos I obviously know the Lakes like the back of my scrotum) and as yet, he hasn't buggered me off, so hopefully all will be sorted

No worries Stu, i think if it was me i'd head west out of Oxenholme, across & then either head down to Newby Bridge & up the west side of Windermere. Or, head over on the Ferry to Claife Heights, then do some sort of loop round there that finishes at Ambleside.
Looks like the festival is just south of Ambleside, near Clappersgate..

Suppose you could always do something like the reverse of the LL200 back to Staveley..

There's loads of good pubs to eat at in the area, if you decide to bivi at Claife Heights the Tower Bank Arms is good..